About the Talk

This study reviews the recent trends in cross-border marriage and divorce of Koreans and explores the pattern of socio-demographic characteristics of married and divorced couples. Utilizing micro-data from recent surveys and marriage and divorce registration, this paper examines the effects of spousal dissimilarity on marital stability among transnational couples in Korea. Attention is also focused on examining the level of fertility of foreign wives. Results of the analysis show greater incidences of spousal dissimilarity in age and educational attainment among transnational couples. As the transnational openness hypothesis indicates, socio-demographic thresholds tend to be more open or flexible among Korean men who are looking for foreign brides. The extant hypothesis that spousal dissimilarity increases the risk of marital dissolution and shortens the duration of marriage is not found to fit transnational couples in Korea. It is also found that foreign wives are likely to experience disruptive fertility and have less children than native Korean wives.

About the Speaker

Doo-Sub Kim is Professor of Sociology at Hanyan University, Seoul, South Korea. See his CV.